Creator of Value
Think of a commodity that really has significant value to you. Ever wonder who actually made it? Or what their thoughts were when making it? What I want to convey is, what value besides ours, does the person making it hold on the commodity? This might seem strange to think about, but is it safe to say that whoever made the commodity is responsible for the value we put on it.
The creator of the commodity, whether it is a toy, a pair of shoes, or a cell phone, puts his knowledge and care into making the product. It is their responsibility to ensure quality products before sending them off to get shipped or handed out. Imagine if someone purchased a packaged item and as soon as they open it to take its content out it falls apart. In that instant it is recognizable that there is no user value, thus eliminating future exchange value. It is important that both user and exchange value exists, and it is because of these values that commodities become significant to their consumer. In Karl Marx’s book, for instance, he states, that commodities “exchange hands” from “non-use-values for their owner to use-values for their non-owners.” It is this exchange of hands that Marx states, “this constitutes their exchange and puts them in relation with each other as value.”
As consumers, we always look for things that we know will be of great value and use. Once we have our ideal commodity it is inevitable to compare its existing value to that of something else. However, what sets many commodities apart based on their value is that of the labor time that was taken in making the product. This is something that Karl Marx talks about, that the “universal measure of value” is the time making it. His proposing idea seems to be relevant because there are certain products that take weeks, months, or even years to finish. However, this is just time, but there is also materials that are required for certain products to be made and that increases both its user and exchange value. In the article, “Create Value — Not Just Buzz — Your Customer,” for instance, talks about value and how customers see it. It mentions that value to customers “is the difference between what they perceive and what they pay.”If a customer does not like what they see in a product then it is likely that they are not willing to pay for it.
At a point, many of our commodities are seen as valuable to us. We value its worth and what they do for us. We might even think that their value is never ending. However, does this value compare to that of the person who made it. What I mean is, yes it is their responsibility to produce and ensure a quality product, yet there efforts in making the product should have some significance or value towards the products. The creator takes their time making what we find so valuable, but time is also valuable. Therefore, the value that the creator has when making a commodity is that of time. However, this might be one of many values, but time is what ensures a valuable product. It takes time to conceptualize a product no matter its size, and it also takes time to produce it. This overall time gauge that our commodities go through is in the hands of the creator, and it is passed on to us in the form of personal value and usage. Time in this case is a way “to keep growing value to be sustainable.” The more time it takes to make a product the more valuable it is perceived. The valuable time of the creator makes it seem as if they are not only making a product but its user and exchange value as well.
